Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
“So, what should I get Coke for Christmas?” Dillon tilted the phone up under his ear, doing the dance of cooking and talking at the same time.
“Porn?” He heard Sam Bell’s laugh, low and husky.
God, it was good to hear Sammy’s voice. For a bit there, he’d thought it would never happen again. “I could get the video camera, I guess. Give him home movies.”
“Uh-huh. I came to get Beau a truck box for the hammer and wire. A new one.” The brain injury had scrambled Sammy’s ability to talk a little, but it was so good to know he was still in there.
“That’s cool, man. I was thinking of a snowmobile…”
Mmm. Bacon.
“Oh, yeah? Coke likes to spin the four-wheelers. That’s four-wheelers in the snow. I walk to come and try.” Right, like Beau’d allow that.
“Any time, Sammy. You know I like speed.”
“You come to see us?” Sam asked.
“Yeah. Yeah, we’re planning to after Christmas.”
“Good. Beau can cook.” Sammy laughed, and he heard Beau’s soft, teasing voice.
“Coke will be tickled. Me? I’ll sneak in McDonald’s.”
“Bring me a shake.”
“I will. Give Beau a big hug for Coke and pinch his butt for me, huh?” Beau would laugh like a loon at the very idea.
“I will. Tell Nate happy Santa.”
Nate. Jesus. “You know it, Sammy. Love you.” He never, ever wanted his friend not to know that.
“Love you, man. Going.” Click.
He chuckled, shook his head. Lord.
Coke’s cell phone started ringing in the living room. He knew Coke was outside, working on the hot tub cover.
Dillon bebopped out and got it, taking it back to his bacon. “’Lo?”
“Gramps? It’s Aje. Missy’s all swollen and she’s going into the hospital.”
“Coke is outside. Hold on, huh?” This was important enough to have Coke actually talk to AJ, even if they couldn’t do anything.
He went to the door and waved and banged a little, not willing to leave his bacon. It would burn in a flash. Coke looked up, all bundled up, gimme cap on. He got a nod, then Coke came in, bassets at his heels.
Dillon handed over the phone, stopping Jerome mid-leap to the stove.
“’Lo? Hey, son, what’s…? Oh, man. Man, that sucks. What do you need me to do?”
Dillon turned, making slashing motions across his throat with the tongs. They were not going down there early. AJ had, like, a bazillion siblings.
Coke’s eyebrow went up. “Huh?”
“We’ll come down after Christmas.” He didn’t shout it or anything, but he wanted to make sure Coke didn’t promise.
“I promised Beau I’d stop by, but then I’ll come help.” Coke sighed, shook his head. “I don’t know, AJ. Ask your momma.”
Poor Coke. The man hated to have to say no. Still, he had to learn. This was their life now, damn it.
Dillon kept one ear open and got the bacon out of the pan. Not burned. Yay.
“I… Son, you know you can call any time, but I’m way up north. I ain’t at my house.”
Go Coke. Dillon was proud. Of course he wanted to help AJ, but the man had a ton of family. They could see what Missy was actually up against, then make a decision.
“Yeah. Yeah, okay. You call, huh? Uh-huh. Good deal. Tell Jase to holler. Right.” Coke sighed, hung up the phone.
“You okay, babe?” He slid a plate of food down in front of Coke, hoping that would help.
“Smells good.” Coke grabbed a fork. “I’m fine. A little guilty for not helping, but…”
“But AJ has people.” Dillon grinned. “And we can’t help until we know what it is.”
“Right. And I’m here. With you.”
“You are.” He slid his arms around Coke. “Do you think I’m a bad person?”
“What?” Coke’s eyes went comically wide.
“I mean, for wanting it to be just us for Christmas.” He didn’t want Coke to think he was an ass. He was. He knew it. But still.
“Shut up, cowboy, and come eat. This looks perfect.” Coke drew him into a kiss that said a ton about whether Coke thought he was awful.
“Mmm. Okay.” He plopped down on Coke’s lap. Coke wrapped one arm around his waist. “Bacon?” He held a piece of bacon to Coke’s lips.
“Absolutely. I’m a fan.” Coke opened right up.
He fed Coke the bacon, then licked his fingers. “Me, too.”
Coke grinned, nipped at his fingers. “Then get you a bite.”
“I just did.” Dillon chuckled, but munched at the bacon, too.
Coke relaxed, and between them they cleaned the plate.
“I should put the other in the microwave, huh?” He’d learned that from Coke, just like he’d learned it was okay to leave the butter out on the table and not immediately stuff things in the fridge.
“Mmmhmm. I think so. We should go to town or something. Go see if we can’t find our Christmas tree.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea.” He hugged on Coke for just a moment before hopping up. “Did your folks do a big tree?”
“They had a fake one, but I thought it was. You should see the one at Mrs. Gardner’s. It’s huge.”
“Does she do real?” Sometimes it was bizarre how Coke avoided talking about family. Dillon wondered a lot if it was about Coke being gay. Coke was a believer, if not a churchgoer, and his folks might have been really strict God types. No one else seemed to know either.
“She does, and it’s huge. Tons of ornaments and stuff. Christmas there is wild.”
“I bet.” Dillon cleaned up a bit, humming, before he glanced at Coke. “Did I ever ask why you don’t get along with your family?”
“Probably.” Coke went over to the coffee pot, poured two mugs.
“Oh.” Wow. That was definite. “Okay. I’m sorry, babe.”
“No apologies needed.” Coke handed him his mug. “I have lots of family—cowboys every one.”
“Yeah. This is true.” Dillon thought on it for a moment. “Who’s been around the longest? I mean, now that Daniel Scott is gone?”
“John Dalton, I reckon. Him and Lefty were the ones who helped me.”
“Yeah? I like Lefty.” Dillon hadn’t worked with either man, but they’d been around all his adult life. Solid guys. Former bullfighters.
Coke nodded. “Lefty is a good man. Understanding. Got my back.”
Dillon filed that away in a tiny part of his mind. He wanted to ask Lefty some questions.
“Drink your coffee, cowboy. We have errands to run.”
“Yeah. We need ornaments, too.” He winked. “Sis has most of my ones from when I was a kid.”
“Yeah? That’s neat. What’s your favorite?”
“I had this terrible glittery snowflake.” He should get the wives he knew to get their kids to send ornaments for him and Coke…
“Oh, now. We need that on the tree.”
“I’ll call Susan.” He grinned. She would be happy to get rid of some of his childhood baubles. He’d just never had his own tree that wasn’t tiny. Christmas decorating alone got old.
“Good deal.” Coke nodded. “I ain’t never needed one. I always go visit someone.”
“Well, this year we’ll do it up right.” Dillon pulled Coke to his feet. “Let’s bundle you up.”
“Yep. Let the babies out, I’ll fetch our coats.”
“Got it.” Dillon let the puppers out, let them in, all that jazz. In his head, he was making all sorts of lists about what they needed to get and what all he needed to do. If he made a note to call Lefty later in the week, well, that was okay, too.
He could hear Coke whistling, the sound happy as hell. Made him feel good to know that his bullfighter was so relaxed and easy.
He would do whatever he could to keep it that way, too. Coke deserved some happiness and a lot of love. Dillon figured he was just the guy to provide it.
Lucky him.